a girl, a superhero, and a thief
by writerdragonfly
Summary: Barry Allen discovers he's the proud parent of a ten year old, but between work and his responsibilities as the Flash, there's only so many people he can trust to watch her in his absence. He doesn't expect Leonard Snart to be one of them and he certainly doesn't expect more. Vaguely post S1 AU. Coldflash.


_**Author's note:** I'd like to preface this by stating that I wrote this in like 30 hours, I haven't edited much, and I read my first coldflash fic like three or four days ago. I still have like half a season of The Flash to watch but I've read almost every coldflash fic on AO3 and this just kinda happened, so here, have a fic! Please forgive me if it's absolute trash._

 _Let me know what you think, yes?_

* * *

Terran Drake is cute, in a waifish sort of way. She pins her hair back with mismatched hair clips and smiles up at him with slightly slanted teeth. She doesn't wear makeup, which Barry has noticed a lot of the girls his age are using with an increasing frequency, as if hiding their skin will make them more approachable.

Not that Barry would approach them either way. He's... He just knows better.

In any case, he has Iris.

Terran is sweet though, and kind. He'd seen her at the camp the year before, always a little secluded on her own. This year isn't any different, but she's a lot quieter than he remembers.

Which, considering how little he's ever heard her speak says something.

So he introduces himself, teases her a little in the playful way he normally only gets away with when it pertains to Iris. She wrinkles her nose at his jokes sometimes, but she seems lighter anyway.

The last night of camp, something in her breaks until she's a mess of heartbreakingly constant giggles.

Once she's calmed down, she smiles brighter, as if finally having found her place.

They exchange email addresses, and Terran waves him off when Joe picks him up.

There's an email waiting for him by the time they get back to Central City.

And that's how it starts.

They talk about a lot of things, though Barry knows Terran keeps mum on certain aspects of her past. He doesn't blame her. He doesn't tell her the details about his parents, though he does tell her he believes in something more.

Nearly six months after their fairly consistent emailing starts, Terran tells him she's in Central City. They meet at the library, and he's surprised to find she's by herself.

They talk for awhile, and eventually leave the library. Barry isn't even sure how it happens, but they end up in Terran's hotel room and end up having sex. It's his first time, but the way Terran shakes a little afterward tells him it's not hers.

"I'm sorry, Barry. It's just... I'm fine, okay? Did you have a curfew?"

And then Barry admits that his foster dad's never had reason to give him a curfew, it's not like he has many friends. And there's something in Terran's face that worries him.

"Barry... How old are you?" Her voice hitches a little around the words, and he's suddenly filled with dread.

They'd never talked about that, had they?

When she finds out he's fifteen, she escapes to the bathroom and Barry can hear her throwing up through the door.

He doesn't understand.

She pays for his cab fare back home, but she doesn't go with him.

There's an email waiting when he gets back.

 _I'm sorry but I don't think we should talk anymore. I'm eighteen._

Barry emails her a few times after that, but she never responds.

His letters to her house never get answered either.

With time, the ache lessens. He starts thinking about Iris instead, and for years he pretends that he doesn't remember that night, doesn't remember the pretty girl with mismatched clip and an uneven smile.

-x-

Years later, he comes home after an exhausting afternoon stopping a bank robbery and finds a girl curled up against his front door, shivering. He thinks she's maybe ten, her hair in two long dark braids down her shoulders.

"Hey," he says softly, and the minute her eyes flick up to his, he knows who she is.

It's Terran's eyes looking up at him.

There's a handful of letters clutched in her hands, Terran's name and old address on the front in his unrefined fifteen year old handwriting.

"What's your name?"

"Nora Allen Drake," the girl says, her voice soft.

And Barry knows who she is without a doubt then.

It's Terran's eyes looking up at him from his mother's face.

"I'm Barry Allen," he says softly, and he knows by the way her eyes light up that she's aware of who he is to her, "why don't you come inside and warm up?"

Once he's got her bundled up in blankets on the couch, a bowl of soup in her hands, he learns what he had suspected.

Nora's mother had died, one of the unlucky people to have been affected by the particle accelerator explosion. Terran had been in Central City for a job interview, Nora at home with Terran's sister. She'd been living with her aunt since, not at all that adept or able to care for her. She'd made the choice to find him, and didn't even know if her aunt realized she was gone yet.

"I think you're my dad," she admits, and Barry's certain it's true without even thinking about it.

She rifles through her backpack until she finds the slightly crumpled birth certificate. His name is written there.

"We'll have to get a DNA test," Barry admits to her, though he already knows it'll be positive, "or they won't let you stay with me."

And it's the first indication he's given her that he wants that. The way her face breaks into a smile makes it worth it.

Joe comes home twenty minutes after she falls asleep, ten minutes after Barry gets a hold of Terran's sister-Nora's aunt-to let them know she's with him. The woman is snide and snotty, and he can hear her say good riddance as she hangs up.

"Barry, why is there a kid sleeping on my couch?"

Barry can't help the little sigh that comes out when he turns around.

"I... I think she's my daughter."

Joe laughs a few times before his face gets stony and serious.

"Barry, she's got to be at least nine or ten..."

"She's ten..." Barry admits, and he's not even sure what to define the look on Joe's face as.

"Barry... You would have been... Barr..."

"Me and her mom, that was all consensual! She didn't... didn't take advantage of me. We stopped talking when she found out how old I was..." Barry rambles, and Joe doesn't look particularly happy with that.

"And how old was her mother, Barry?"

"Eighteen. Look, Joe. I know you're not happy about it, but I know that she's mine. She can't go back. Her mom's gone and her aunt doesn't want her."

"Just because the girl told-"

"I called her aunt. She said good riddance, Joe. I can't just..."

"What about your job, Barr. Either one of them?"

"Her name is Nora," Barry says, and he can tell the second Joe realizes he can't win this.

"If she's... You better get tested."

"I'll set up an appointment in the morning."

-x-

Barry doesn't sleep much that night. He calls in a few hours before he's supposed to start his shift in the lab, takes a sick day he hasn't really accrued and tells Singh it's a personal matter and that he'll be updated tomorrow. He doesn't even let him ask if it's a Flash matter, just cuts him off with a no.

He doesn't call Iris, though he wants to. He doesn't know how to explain it. Joe graciously gives him until supper to let her know and heads off for his own shift.

Nora wakes up just as Barry hits send after dialing Caitlin's number, and she slinks into the kitchen behind him in search of food.

"Barry? Did you catch a new-"

"Caitlin... I need a favor. And I need you to not ask any questions until after..."

"Barry, what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, it's just... I need you to do a paternity test for me."

"Is this something... Something about... About Wells?"

"What? No! I just... There's cereal in that cupboard, Nora," Barry says, switching from Caitlin to Nora.

"Nora...? Barry, do you have a girl over-"

"I have a daughter, Caitlin."

She doesn't ask anymore questions after that.

After Nora eats, she changes into one of two spare sets of clothing from in her bag. Barry recognizes her t-shirt as one that Terran had always said she wanted. He doesn't tell Nora that.

They catch the bus, Nora holding his hand tightly as they jostle against strangers. It's been a long time since he's had to ride one, but the driver still recognizes him.

They meet Caitlin in the lobby of a clinic. She's dressed up to her part, and brings them up to the front desk with an air of confidence.

As soon as they're alone in the room, waiting for whoever does the testing, Caitlin deflates.

"I'm 95% sure they think I'm her mother," Caitlin admits, and then she sighs.

"Are you Barry's girlfriend?" Nora asks quietly. Caitlin nearly squeaks.

"No! I mean, it's not that your dad isn't great-"

"Caitlin's just a friend. Sometimes I work with her." Barry interrupts and Caitlin blushes hotly.

"How old are you, Nora?" Caitlin finally asks, and Barry is certain she's been wanting to ask for some time.

"I'm ten."

The test is short, both the doctor and Caitlin taking separate samples. The doctor doesn't ask why she's testing too, though Caitlin is quick to assure him it's not a lack of confidence.

"We have some more advanced testing equipment at STAR Labs. But we need the official record of parentage on file."

Caitlin drives them back home, and promises to talk to Cisco for him.

Barry is grateful.

He still has to tell Iris.

-x-

They eat pizza for lunch and settle in to watch Netflix. Barry researches schools as Nora chooses her favorite episode of Doctor Who, eliciting a smile from him when she settles on it.

He sets up an appointment at the same school he and Iris went to as they watch another episode, and then he cautiously texts Iris.

[Are you busy? We need to talk.]

He doesn't get a response for nearly an hour, and by that time he and Nora are talking about Terran again.

[Dad invited me and Eddie to supper. I could come over early?]

[Okay.]

Iris lets herself in while Barry is in the bathroom, and he sighs when he hears the front door. Nora is at the table playing solitaire with a ragged old pack of cards-the same ones he'd actually given her mother the night they'd spent together.

He makes it downstairs just in time to see Iris introduce herself to Nora.

"I'm Nora Allen Drake," his daughter replies and he can see the second it hits Iris.

" _Barry_ ," she hisses and he really does not want Nora present for this. But what is he going to do?

"Iris... This isn't. You know, I..."

"Is this... Is this one of those... meta-"

"No! Nora was conceived the very natural normal way. I just..."

"My mom didn't tell him about me. She told Uncle Quentin that she didn't want to ruin his life. I wasn't supposed to hear that." Nora interrupts, looking down at her hands.

Iris immediately softens.

"Oh, sweetie, I didn't mean to-"

"My mom would have gotten into trouble if she told anyway. Aunt Hera used to tell her that all the time. I know why, I know how to do math."

"Nora, it's not your fault okay? Your mom and I... We both did something stupid but we got you out of it, something beautiful. I'm sorry that you didn't get to meet me sooner. Why don't you go wash your hands? We'll have supper soon."

Nora complies, though Barry is positive she knows the real reason she's being asked to leave the room.

"What did she mean by that?" Iris asks, and Barry sighs.

"Do you... Remember my friend Terran? From camp?"

"That girl you used to email like four times a day? Yeah, I remember... Is she... Is that why she stopped emailing you?!" Iris asked.

"Actually it's because she didn't know I was only fifteen until after we had sex," Barry admits with a blush.

"But you... You never said..."

"Yeah, well I was embarrassed, okay? She was eighteen and I knew she was older than me but I didn't want her to stop emailing me so I never told her. I mean, I thought she was seventeen at most but..."

"Oh, Barr."

-x-

Dinner is a little strained. Iris introduces Eddie to Nora as Barry's daughter, and his surprise makes Barry want to hide his head in the sand. Joe is better than he had been, and he suspects that Iris had helped with that.

Barry sets up his bed for Nora and sleeps on the couch that night.

He sleeps better, but still not enough.

-x-

He kisses the top of Nora's head when his paternity is confirmed. Over the next few weeks, between Joe, Iris, Eddie, Cisco and Caitlin, someone is always with Nora when he has to work. He doesn't go out as the Flash much, too worried initially, about Nora.

She starts classes once her aunt finally gets her old school to forward her transcripts, and his day job becomes easier to manage.

He finds a two bedroom apartment for them after the first month, though Joe tells them they're welcome home at any time. It's easier, that way, somehow.

Nora starts calling him dad after that. The first time is on accident, but he just grins and pulls her tightly into a hug and it seals it.

It comes out at work when her class takes a field trip to the police station and she breaks from the group to nearly tackle him at the bottom of the stairs.

It's easy, those first few months, when there aren't any meta human attacks, when the crime he responds to sticks to normal hours, to forget that she's in danger because of who he is, what he is.

-x-

Barry takes her to a museum one afternoon off, and that's when things truly start to hit home for him.

Captain Cold and his band of Rogues pick the same afternoon to rob the place. He hasn't told Nora yet, about being the Flash. And he certainly doesn't want to let her know like this. And he doesn't want the others to know who he is, that the Flash has a kid.

So he doesn't do anything to stop them.

Cold catches his eyes on the way out.

He knows he isn't getting off easy.

-x-

Nora stays with Joe that night, Barry only leaving once she's asleep. Joe gives him a pointed look, but he doesn't know how to explain.

"Flash business," only goes so far.

-x-

He finds Leonard Snart at his usual bar, the man dressed down into casual clothes. He lifts an eyebrow at Barry's own casual dress, but doesn't look surprised.

"We need to talk," is all Barry says, before walking right back out.

He knows it's stupid, but he leads Snart back to his apartment.

-x-

"Who were you babysitting?" Snart asks once Barry closes the door. Barry shakes his head.

"Look, I don't want you anywhere near her," Barry says, which isn't what he'd intended to, but he means it.

He doesn't want her anywhere near the Flash...

"What, your girlfriend mad you brought her to a museum that got robbed?"

"I don't want my daughter-" Barry bites the end off before he says anymore, a thread of fear in his voice that he hates.

"Your... Allen, she's got to be like half your age. She isn't-"

"She's only ten, Snart, and she's my daughter."

"God, kid. Did you knock up her mom when you lost-you did. That's priceless."

"Leave her out of this. This... Game you're playing. She's not a part of it."

"Scarlet, I have no intention-"

"Don't tell anyone about her, please." Barry finally says, and he hates himself a little.

-x-

The next time he sees the Rogues, he's already in his suit.

Cold doesn't bring up his daughter. No one else seems to know.

That... _changes_ things.

-x-

Iris and Eddie head to Coast City the same weekend that Joe goes to some sort of conference in Starling City. Cisco and Caitlin are gone for the weekend as well, Cisco doesn't say where but Caitlin is on a well deserved honeymoon.

It shouldn't be a problem. He has the weekend off, and intends to spend it with Nora.

But plans change.

Nora shows that she's not Barry's daughter for nothing when she straight up tells him he has to get the Flash suit on.

A meta-human is attacking the city.

And he can't leave her alone.

He hasn't told Felicity about her, certainly hasn't told Oliver. He doesn't want more people knowing than already do.

And Oliver's life is certainly more dangerous anyway.

So he caves and finds Leonard Snart, and hopes he's not making a mistake.

-x-

"You said you didn't want me anywhere near your kid... And now you want me to watch her."

"I don't have anyone else I'd trust to watch her in Central City right now."

And what he doesn't say speaks volumes.

"Okay."

-x-

Barry doesn't get home for six long hours. It's nearing four am, and he's exhausted. He gets into his apartment to find Leonard Snart sleeping on his couch, his face softer in sleep.

He wakes him up with a little shaken of his shoulder. Snart looks a little like a confused puppy for a minute, but he shakes it off quickly.

"Thank you," Barry says softly. Snart nods.

"Anytime... She's a good kid."

Barry smiles at that.

"You can stay here for the rest of the night if you want. I need to eat and get to sleep, but you're welcome to stay."

He doesn't know why he offers. Snart nearly smiles at him.

By the time Barry manages to scarf down some food, Snart has left. But Barry's okay with that too.

-x-

Spring seems to bring on a new wave of crazy to the city. It's easier to take care of things now that he's aware that Nora knows, but he still tries to get home before she goes to bed every night. It doesn't always work.

About six months after Nora finds him, the Arrow shows up in Central City again and everything gets all kinds of messed up.

Felicity finds out about Nora first, stopping by his new apartment to let him know they're in town. Barry was down a cell phone after the last night's insanity, and he and Nora had been relaxing in front of the TV.

He doesn't even think before opening the door, used to his friends from Central City stopping by as they please.

It's incredibly awkward when Felicity gives him a hug without noticing Nora.

"Dad?" Nora asks as she walks up to them. looping a loose strand of hair around her finger.

"Dad?" Felicity parrots, totally confused.

"Felicity... This is my daughter, Nora..."

"This is Felicity?" Nora asks excitedly, and Barry doesn't know if it's deliberately that she just bowls over the fact that Felicity clearly has no idea she existed.

"Hi... Barry, is there something you needed to tell me? Like, maybe... A lot?"

"Well, technically..."

Felicity is fuming the entire trip to STAR Labs where they meet up with the rest of her team. Unfortunately, it leaves Barry a few hands short of someone to watch Nora, and he absolutely refuses to let her meet Oliver right away.

Iris picks her up from STAR Labs before they go in, and Barry feels like he owes her a lifetime of favors.

Oliver immediately picks up on Felicity's ire, and Barry is forced to talk about it.

"I am _not_ going to apologize for wanting to keep Nora out of all this," he yells, and Felicity actually seems to looked cowed at that.

"Who is Nora?" Oliver asks, and Barry actually wants to hit something.

"My daughter." Barry states, aiming for as calm and even as he can.

-x-

Barry doesn't see Nora for nearly two days and he absolutely shows the Arrow how pissed he is at that.

-x-

Once they're gone, and all of the Arrow's gang have met his little girl, he takes three days off work by creatively rearranging his schedule. It'll be hell if Flash business interferes, but he needs the time off.

He books a hotel room on the other side of Central City and takes Nora away for some bonding time. She absolutely loves the hotel pool, despite not being able to swim. Most of their free time is spent there.

Of course, he doesn't expect to run into Leonard Snart in the hallway outside their room. He's dressed as Captain Cold and undoubtedly there to steal something.

But Nora, despite remembering being scared when he'd been wearing his gear when they robbed the museum, immediately latches onto him.

"Len, you should have stayed for breakfast!"

Barry barely managed not to flinch when he actually wrapped his arms around her.

"Next time, Princess."

"You promise?"

"Of course, darling."

Barry tries to pretend he isn't warmed by the idea.

"Don't steal her anything," Barry warns with a grin.

"Len, hurry your ass!" A hissed voice says at the end of the hallway.

"Let me know if you need me," Snart says quickly, handing Barry a slip of paper before bolting down the hall.

"I like Len, Dad."

"I know, Nor."

-x-

He puts the phone number in his phone as Len and prays that no one calls it trying to figure out who Len is.

He also sends a text.  
[Thanks.]

-x-

[Anytime, Scarlet. I mean it.]

-x-

[Can you pick Nora up at school? She's sick and I can't leave for half an hour.]

[They'll just let me take her?]

[I'll let them know you're coming.]

[Where should I take her?]

[The clinic by my apartment. They'll be expecting her. I'll be there as soon as I can walk.]

-x-

Barry stumbles into the clinic half an hour later, his leg aching in pain. As long as he doesn't have to walk for long in front of people, he can fake being okay. A clinic is probably not the best place to do it.

"Dad!" Nora's voice startles him a little as he's making his way to the desk. She peels away from Snart slowly, her pale face immediately digging into his body.

"Nora's just got a little bit of a stomach flu. She should be fine after tomorrow to return to school," Snart tells him, offering out Nora's backpack.

"Thank you for taking her. I got here as soon as I could, but it's been a busy case. I didn't want her waiting at school any more than she had to."

"No one else could take her?"

"Not that would have done it with no explanation," Barry admitted, a little embarrassed.

"The doctor thinks Len is your boyfriend, Dad," Nora mumbles into his side as they walk out the front door. Barry stiffens, but Snart just keeps walking without saying anything.

All right, then.

-x-

Hana is very pretty and seems to be genuinely into him. It's why he agrees when she asks him out to dinner suddenly.

Of course, then he realizes that unless he wants to take his ten year old on a date with him, he'll have to ask someone to watch her.

Which, he's pretty sure that if he wants to have a date without a million questions and teasing, he really only has two choices.

And Caitlin's not answering her phone.

[Can I ask you something odd?]

[What, you break your leg again and need someone to take Nora to tennis lessons?]

[No. I don't even know where that came from.]

[Kid, get on with it.]

[I have a date.]

[And you don't want anyone to know.]

[Basically, yes.]

-x-

Snart shows up to his apartment with a plastic grocery bag in one hand and doesn't even say anything as he pushes past Barry into his apartment.

"Okay..."

"Where's the princess?"

"She's in her room. Are you sure this isn't too weird?"

"Oh, it's totally weird. But I get it, Flash. When was the last time you got laid?"

"Successfully?" Barry immediately gets red at the blurted comment.

"Well, that's. Sure."

"Well before the explosion. I mean, I tried a few times since but... There were issues. Why am I talking about this?!" Barry cuts himself off.

"Len!" Nora bounds into the room with a wide smile, immediately hugging him around the waist.

"I'll be back in a couple hours. Be good for... For Len, okay, Nor?"

"I will, Daddy. You should go before you get cold feet," Nora smirks and Barry decides he already regrets this decision.

But he goes anyway.

-x-

Hana is great. She's cute, smart, funny. Hana is also... just not clicking with him.

Hana also doesn't want children, and he's pretty sure that in ninety seconds, she's going to make an excuse to leave.

"I have a daughter. She's ten."

"Oh," Hana says and then it takes a short minute before she leaves for the bathroom and Barry immediately pays the bill and heads out.

If she had been coming back, well. He thinks she'll get the picture.

He makes it back to his apartment in the middle of Leonard Snart reading the third Harry Potter to Nora and finds himself immensely unprepared.

"Having fun?" Barry manages after a minute, and Snart just smirks up from his seat on the edge of Nora's bed. Nora is half asleep beside him, and Barry jerks his head toward her.

They both say good night to her, and it's surprisingly not as awkward as he'd expected.

"I assume the date didn't go well? Were you not flashy enough for her?"

"She didn't like kids..." Barry admitted and he shares a look with Snart-Len-that should be uncomfortable. It's not.

"Better luck next time, eh Scarlet?"

"Yeah, maybe."

"Well, I'm going to-"

"She's going to be disappointed if you don't stay for breakfast," Barry interrupts. He doesn't know why he does it, even though it's true.

"Are you inviting me to stay the night, Flash?"

Barry doesn't know what he's doing anymore.

He doesn't trust Captain Cold to be honest with him. But... he's not talking to Captain Cold right now.

He's talking to Len.

"Not the first time I've offered."

"Offered a man to stay the night?"

"Offered you."

Barry isn't stupid. Leonard Snart has already reneged on one thing he'd agreed to. But Barry's also seen him reading to a ten year old, and calling her princess. And taking care of her when he... When he couldn't.

"Maybe you'll get lucky tonight after all."

-x-

Barry wishes he could say he hasn't thought about it. Hadn't imagined how they might be together. Most of the time, he'd imagined rough and fast, boiling over after a fight.

This? This is different.

Leonard Snart has a filthy mouth, but Barry finds himself saying things back just as badly. And it's still a little fast and rough but it's still a lot different than he'd imagined.

For one, Len's not wearing his parka when they start.

Most of their words are whispered, the occasional accidental shout stopping them for long enough to listen if Nora's suddenly awake.

Barry likes the way he tastes. His mouth, his skin, his sweat. He hasn't been with a guy before, not like this. Which isn't to say he's been hiding that part of him. He just never saw an opportunity, and women were always enough anyway.

He thinks briefly of Terran, of his first anything. But they're nothing alike.

Except the eyes. The shade's not quite the same, but her eyes were a lot like his.

It puts an unexpected twist in his stomach when he realizes that Nora could easily pass for Len's daughter instead.

It passes when Len's mouth takes his again, as a hand slips back down his body.

And he loses himself to _them_.

-x-

He stays for breakfast. Barry nearly kisses him before he leaves, when he catches that hungry look in his eyes.

But he doesn't.

Nora gives him a hug before he leaves though.

-x-

Barry doesn't quite know what the hell he and Len are, after that.

He's almost afraid to come across him as the Flash, because he doesn't know what he'll do. Himself or Len.

-x-

Sometimes they text each other late at night and Barry has no idea who starts it but it always devolves into texts he deletes in the morning.

Some things he really doesn't want anyone else to see.

-x-

Of course, then a meta-human takes a middle school hostage and Barry doesn't know what the hell to do.

The Flash can't go inside because there are too many eyes on the parents who have children still inside.

He wants to. Everyone who knows tries to calm him from doing it anyway.

He manages to break away for a minute, far enough that they can't hear him but they (and everyone else) can still see him.

He calls Len.

Len doesn't answer.

Lisa does.

"Why, hello there," she says, tone all sultry.

"I need to talk to Len," Barry snaps.

"You are definitely not a girl."

"Now."

"Oh my god, whatever. You must be my brother's boyfriend."

Barry doesn't respond to that. He overhears Len snarling something at his sister, but then he's on the line himself.

"Hello?"

"A meta-human took the middle school hostage. I can't go in."

-x-

Captain Cold walks up to a police barricade and demands to speak to Detective West by pointing his cold gun at a cop's face.

It nearly ends very badly.

Barry notices just in time.

"Let him through," he hisses at Joe. Joe gives him an incredibly odd look.

"I do this, you owe me," Len says once he's close enough. There's a handful of clenched fists at that.

"Do it," Barry says and everyone left states at him for a long moment.

Twenty minutes later, there's an outpouring of kids rushing out of the building. At the end of them, Captain Cold has a green skinned woman unconscious over his shoulder.

He drops her at his feet.

"I'll let you know when you can repay the favor," Len smirks as Captain Cold, and Barry relaxes.

"Dad!" Nora yells as she barrels into him. He hugs her tightly before nodding at Len.

"Thank you for saving us," Nora says loudly as Len walks away.

He stops to look at her a minute, then nods before he turns back around and walks on.

-x-

"That was stupid."

Barry doesn't know that he disagrees. But even without whatever weird freaking thing they are, Nora is too important not to take that risk.

-x-

He shows up uninvited a few days later, climbing into Barry's apartment via the fire escape. Joe and Iris have been gone for only minutes, which he suspects that Len knows. Nora sneaks him a hug before she heads to bed and Barry waits approximately six beats once her door closes before he kisses him.

Even if Len is here for something Captain Cold or Flash related, he really just wanted to kiss him.

It turns out to be neither.

-x-

A week later, the Rogues are caught in the progress of a robbery and Barry finds himself enjoying the fight with Captain Cold more than anticipated. He ends up spraining his wrist, but he forces them to escape without their goods, so Barry doesn't mind so much. Cisco tells him his smile is a bit creepy as Caitlin wraps his wrist.

When he gets home that night, he painstakingly sends a single text with his left hand.

[u sprained my wrist]

[Don't you heal insanely fast, Scarlet?]

He calls Len instead of attempting another text, laying back on his mattress.

"Poor baby having trouble texting one handed?" He can hear Len's smirk.

"We both know who won today," Barry replies.

"Rub it in, much?"

"I'd like to, but you sprained my wrist."

"Oh... Is that how you want to play this, Flash?"

-x-

Barry knows it's stupid. He knows that no one will understand, that they'll never get it.

Barry isn't sure he understands.

But he likes being with Len. Likes going toe to toe with Captain Cold.

Likes watching Len and Nora together, the way her smile lights up her face, the way it curves his lips up into something simple and real.

-x-

Nora is incredibly disappointed when Barry tells her that Len can't come to her birthday party.

She tries to get him to come anyway, practically begs him when he comes over.

It's just as hard on Len as it is on Barry to tell her no.

"Nora, I know you're disappointed. But you know he's Captain Cold. Just like I'm the Flash. We can't... No one knows that we like each other, okay?"

"But you have a secret identity! So does he, why can't he just come to my party as Len?"

"They know who I am, Nora," Len admits softly, brushing a hair out of her face.

"Well, they all suck," Nora pouts.

-x-

Barry thinks that Nora understands, but it doesn't stop her from telling everyone her birthday wish was for Len to come next year.

He feels lucky she didn't call him by his full first name until Iris asks her who Len is.

"Dad's boyfriend, duh."

Barry sits through quite a few rounds of questioning after that.

It's comforting, though, when Joe assures him that it doesn't matter that he likes men.

-x-

Nora has one request for a present after her birthday comes and goes, and Barry knows she's hoping to get it by Christmas.

She wants to meet his dad.

Barry doesn't want her to meet him from the other side of a glass window. He doesn't want to bring her into the prison, to let her think her grandpa is a bad guy.

But she smiles up at him when they go through photo albums and Barry wants to introduce them so much too.

-x-

The police station is attacked one night nearly a year after Nora comes into his life. Eddie ends up in the hospital, and Iris refuses to leave his side. Joe works the case religiously, staying overnight most nights. Barry spends his time between his forensic duties and his Flash ones fairly evenly, and he hates that it leaves little time for Nora.

He talks to her on the phone a lot, but it's not the same and they both know it.

Caitlin and Cisco take turns watching her, and Barry knows it's only a matter of time before she asks for Len.

He doesn't know how to let him take over without either of them meeting him.

-x-

It ends up being Cisco who finds out first. Barry is out of options, needing Cisco and Caitlin both on duty at STAR Labs.

"Look, I can get Len to come watch her. He can be there in ten minutes, just head this way and she'll be fine. She can handle ten minutes alone, she's eleven."

Cisco agrees. Cisco, however, does not head out soon enough.

"Barry... I think we need to talk about a few things," Cisco hisses into the phone as soon as he leaves the apartment, obviously understanding why, exactly, Barry was okay with him leaving her alone for ten minutes.

Barry swears, which does absolutely nothing to stop Caitlin's curious stare.

"Can we... talk about this after we take care of our big problem?"

"You mean our other big problem?"

" _Yes_."

-x-

Cisco absolutely refuses to let Barry tell him why Nora says he's dating Captain Cold unless Caitlin hears it too.

"I'm not going to keep this secret from everyone," Cisco hisses at him, rightfully pissed.

So, Barry agrees.

Barry agrees and that's why the three of them end up heading back to his apartment, because Barry is aware that it will be easier on him if he has Nora as an excuse for them to scream less.

He's pretty sure they know that too.

He unlocks the door to see his apartment empty, which freaks Cisco and Caitlin out enough that he ends up spilling the whole damn story right then and there.

Which is what he's just finished when Len unlocks the door and steps inside with Nora and an arm full of TA Barron.

"Some warning would have been nice, kid," is all Len says as he hands the books off to Nora, who is smiling because four of her favorite people are in the same room.

"Dad, do you get to stay home for awhile?"

And he doesn't care that he hasn't slept much over the past week, that Caitlin and Cisco are aware of Len, that he has to go back to work in a few hours at his actual day job.

He pulls Nora into a hug and kisses the top of her head.

"I can stay for a few hours. Have you had lunch yet?"

"Nope. Len said we could have take-out after I returned my library books, but then we got more."

"Let me know when you need me to watch the princess," Len says, his hand on the doorknob.

"Where are you going? You need to eat!" Nora demands, her stubborn stance with her arms crossed thrown off by the books.

"I really don't think your dad's friends want me here, kiddo. I told you that," Len says softly.

Barry watches Caitlin swallow, her hands fisted.

"Barry, do you want... your boyfriend... to stay for lunch?" She manages to ask in an even voice.

Everyone is staring at him, especially Len, who looks thrown off by Caitlin's description of himself.

"Yes," he says, hoping that Caitlin and Cisco don't hate him for it. Hoping that he's making the right choice.

"Well then, I guess we're all staying for lunch," Caitlin states, her eyes narrowed at Len.

Cisco definitely looks like he wants to protest, but he doesn't actually say anything.

Len lets go of the door.

-x-

Lunch is awkward, though Nora takes it in stride. Caitlin and Cisco seem impressed when Len instinctively puts Nora's favorites on her plate, but they don't verbalize that.

Barry and Len are careful not to touch the entire time, which he's certain that Nora has picked up on.

"How's Lisa?" Cisco has the balls to ask when they're nearly done with lunch.

Barry is kind of proud of him, to be honest.

Len seems to be deciding between growling, slamming Cisco's head into the table, and actually answering.

Nora makes the choice for him.

"Who's Lisa?"

"Lisa is my sister," Len says finally and Nora smiles.

"And she wanted to go to the Olympics! She likes ice skating and you said we could go sometime."

Somehow, things are easier after that.

-x-

Of course, Cisco and Caitlin both still think he's an idiot for letting him around Nora, let alone dating him. But they can see how he is with her, and he thinks that's the only reason they don't tell anyone else.

-x-

They close the case on the attack and Eddie returns to work.

Things go a little bit back to normal, or as much as they can anyway.

Barry starts spending an increasing amount of time with Len when he's not at work or out as the Flash, most of the time with Nora as well.

It almost becomes routine for them, to the point where it occurs to Barry that Len spends more nights in his bed than his own.

-x-

Lisa finds out on accident.

Len and Nora are waiting outside when Barry runs in to pick up their order, Len wearing an oversized hoodie and a ball cap in case people who know Barry happen to stop by.

Of course, it's not enough to hide from Len's sister.

"Len? Why are you on this side of town?" Lisa asks just as Barry walks out with their bag of Thai food.

"It's date night!" Nora pipes up without any further prompting, eliciting a wicked smile from Lisa.

"Date night? I think Len's been keeping secrets from me... Where's your mom, sweetheart?"

"My mom is dead," Nora answers, though she doesn't seem upset at the question for once.

"Lisa, this is Nora and her dad, Barry. Barry, Nora... This is my little sister, Lisa." Len introduces before Lisa can say anything else. Lisa looks Barry up and down and he finds that it's incredibly uncomfortable how she lingers.

"Well... I was definitely right about you having a crush on the Flash if this is your type, Len." Lisa smirks at her brother and Barry thinks Len's brief mortified look is priceless.

"It's nice to meet you, Lisa," Barry says, reaching his hand out. She snorts out a little laugh but takes it.

"You too, kid."

"Is Lisa going to join us for supper?" Nora asks, and Len immediately shoots her down.

"Maybe next time, cutie," Lisa tells her, and Barry wants to groan because there is no way Nora isn't going to remember that.

-x-

Nora doesn't forget.

They end up having Lisa over for dinner a few weeks later, and Nora absolutely loves her.

-x-

Barry gets hurt one night, and it's bad enough that Joe brings Nora to STAR Labs to see him. Caitlin expects him to be healed enough to go home the day after tomorrow, but he feels incredibly relieved to see Nora.

She climbs up on the bed and curls into his side, her head pillowed on his shoulder.

He doesn't tell her how much it hurts.

-x-

Barry agrees to let Len and Lisa take her ice skating when he's on Flash duty, Lisa under the impression that he's at the police station doing his day job. Len hasn't told him what her reaction to finding out he was a forensic tech was, but her inability to tell him to have a good day without laughing was telling her enough anyway.

-x-

Iris shows up at his apartment that night, just after he gets home with Nora. Len, thankfully, took off with his sister beforehand.

"Barry, how stupid are you?" Iris asks once Nora heads inside to get ready for bed.

"What are you talking about?"

"You let _Captain Cold_ watch Nora? Really? You think letting him around her is a good idea?"

"What? How did you-"

"I saw her with him! I almost called the cops, and then she called him _Len_."

And then Barry is forced to admit to Iris, that yes, his secret boyfriend is indeed a criminal who sometimes steals things and threatens people.

And, also, once released a bunch of meta-human prisoners into the wild in a terrible betrayal of Barry's trust.

"Iris? Will you read to me?" Nora says, bringing their attention to her where she stands in her pajamas.

"Of course, honey. Why don't you come say good night to your dad first?"

-x-

Iris is not okay with keeping Len's identity a secret from anyone, but she agrees to do it anyway.

"For a few weeks," she says, and only after he tells her that Caitlin and Cisco know.

He thinks he should probably be the one to tell Joe.

-x-

In the end, Joe finds out the same time as Eddie.

It's not pleasant.

Three days before Christmas, Weather Wizard decides to make his attempt for revenge.

Iris calls him from inside the restaurant she'd been eating in.

Weather Wizard had cornered Joe, Eddie and Nora when they went outside while Iris paid.

And she didn't know where they went.

Barry puts Cisco and Caitlin on red alert, let's himself panic for thirty seconds, then races his way through the snowy streets to where Iris is.

He calls Len when he realizes he has no clue where Mardon would have taken them, hoping that Len's intentions of having the escaped meta-humans owe him one wasn't in vain.

-x-

Barry finds himself shuddering as the cold bites through his thin suit, wishing that the meta-human had decided to attack in the summer instead.

Moving is hard, his super speed practically a pipe-dream.

He wishes he'd thought of that before he sped inside the warehouse his family was being held inside.

His fingers fumble over his phone, and he barely manages to unlock it before it drops into a pile of snow.

It's too cold, but his daughter is right there.

He needs to save her.

"Mardon!" Len's voice cuts through the warehouse like a knife, and Barry can see Mardon stop where he has an arm around Nora's chest.

"Captain Cold. I assume you're the reason that the Flash found me so fast?"

"Let go of her," Len snarls and something about that makes Mardon's eyes go wide.

Barry huffs out a laugh that has Eddie and Mardon switching their glances his direction.

Joe never stops watching Nora though, and it's a comfort to Barry.

"Why should I let the little brat go, exactly? Hmmm? She called Detective West her grandpa and I can't have him-"

Len steps forward with his gun, several huge steps until he's within feet of Mardon and Nora.

"I don't care about your revenge, even served cold. Let go of her or I will shoot you," Len says sharply, pointing his gun at Nora's face.

Nora doesn't look scared anymore, and Barry is sure that probably worries Joe.

But she knows why Len's here, and what he's saying means.

"You wouldn't dare. If you want me to let her go so bad, you wouldn't risk-"

"Let my kid go or I will kill you where you stand!" Len snarls, taking two more steps forward in quick succession as the wind picks up around them.

Barry feels a rush of warm surrounding him then, the smell of fire.

"Go save the girl," Lisa says from behind him and Barry doesn't take a glance back before he's moving with slowly returning speed.

He tears Nora out of Mardon's grasp just as the blast of cold air bursts forward.

Barry doesn't see if it hit, too busy checking Nora over. By the time he turns around, Mardon is gone.

The warehouse is burning around them, and Barry knows it's Heatwave come to help Len. It's comforting, somehow.

Lisa cuts through the ropes tying Eddie to his chair, and Barry can see Len working on Joe's. Barry takes a second to kiss the top of Nora's head before he brings her over.

"Detective West, I think you'll be wanting to get out of here with her quickly." Barry says to Joe, and he knows he's absolutely going to hear it as soon as he gets out of costume.

"Thank you, Flash. And the rest of you," Joe says finally, leading them all out of the burning warehouse.

Barry stays behind a little as they walk out into the street, just outside the warehouse.

"Thank you, Lisa," Barry says, grabbing her wrist with his hand. She pulls it out of his grasp with an annoyed look.

"We didn't do this for-"

Barry pulls his cowl down and reveals his face, taking in her wide eyes.

"Thank you, Lisa," he says again, and this time she nods.

The sirens howl in the background, and Barry pulls his cowl back up.

-x-

Barry remembers his cell phone was inside the warehouse nearly two hours later, when he's searching his suit for it back at STAR Labs. Nora is doing her homework at the table in front of him, Eddie and Joe talking quietly with Caitlin a few feet away. Cisco and Iris have left the room for some reason that he doesn't remember, and Barry really wants to text Len.

But he can't.

"Nora, you ready to head home?" He finally asks, and she nods and packs her bag back up.

Barry walks over to Joe, effectively interrupting his conversation.

"I'm taking Nora home. I dropped my cell phone in the warehouse, so it's probably burnt up by now. I... I imagine you want to talk to me about Len..."

"You know, I tried to think over all the guys you've ever talked about to figure out who Len was and I never expected _Snart_."

"I know. Just... You can stop by whenever. I'll get a new phone in the morning."

Barry doesn't let anyone respond before he walks away, taking Nora's hand as he goes.

She shouts her goodbyes.

-x-

Len doesn't show up that night.

Barry doesn't blame him.

Even if he had a phone to text him with, he's not sure Len would have shown.

-x-

When he gets his new phone set up, he realizes he doesn't know Len's number.

And it's not like he has Captain Cold as a friend on Facebook.

He resigns himself to hoping that Len shows up, or that he'll be able to find him soon.

-x-

Joe gives him a list of all the reasons his relationship with Len is a bad one, and Barry doesn't deny that they're true.

But Joe also says he must care a helluva lot about Nora, and Barry knows that means something.

-x-

Len texts him two days later on Christmas Eve, and Barry finds himself relieved, even though it takes him a minute to figure out who it is.

[Nora okay?]

Barry calls him back instead of texting, and finds himself a little panicked when it rings until he nearly gets the voicemail instead.

"Scarlet?"

"Len," Barry sighs out happily.

"I didn't think you wanted to talk to me."

"Of course I did. I was just hoping you'd show up soon than later. I dropped my phone in that warehouse."

"Oh..." Len says, and there's a pause before he continues, "I wasn't sure, with Detective West."

"Come home? Nora misses you," Barry says.

-x-

On Christmas Day, Barry and Nora walk inside the visitors room at Iron Heights.

"Dad, this is Nora."

-x-

Henry Allen adores his granddaughter, and Barry is happy they allowed him to hug her, just this once. They'd only been allowed five minutes, but those minutes made a difference in all of them.

-x-

When they get back into town, they continue their Christmas celebrations at the West house. At the end of the night, he carts a sleepy Nora home.

Len is inside when he gets there. They shuffle Nora off to bed and once she's asleep, Barry kisses him soundly on the lips.


End file.
